Long COVID’s Molecular Roots
A Japanese study offers a potential breakthrough in understanding the “brain fog” affecting over 80% of Long COVID patients. Researchers at Yokohama City University found a widespread increase in AMPA receptors—molecules crucial for memory and learning—in the brains of individuals with Long COVID. This discovery, published in Brain Communications, provides a biological basis for the cognitive symptoms and suggests that drugs regulating these receptors could offer a therapeutic path. The imaging technique used in the study distinguished patients from healthy controls with high accuracy, pointing toward a future diagnostic tool. This is a significant step, as there are currently no FDA-approved treatments for Long COVID.
AI’s Expanding Frontier
The AI arms race continues to accelerate, with significant developments in both capability and governance. Music labels like Universal and Warner are reportedly nearing landmark licensing deals to manage AI-generated music, seeking a payment structure similar to streaming services (FT). In geopolitics, the UK is backing new AI projects in Africa to improve governance and safety, in partnership with Google.org and Canada’s AI for Development program. This initiative aims to mitigate risks and ensure African perspectives are included in global AI governance. Meanwhile, Italy has passed its own national AI law, effective this month, which complements the EU’s AI Act by focusing on specific sectors like healthcare and protecting copyright for AI-assisted works (La Repubblica).
Populism’s Echo in Europe
Populist sentiment is showing renewed strength in Central Europe, mirroring trends seen in the U.S. In the Czech Republic, agricultural tycoon Andrej Babiš is leading in polls ahead of this weekend’s parliamentary elections, buoyed by support from the country’s industrial heartland (Politico.eu). This mirrors the populist shift in other former industrial regions. His potential victory threatens to move another Central European nation away from Brussels, following a pattern of rising nationalist sentiment across the continent. This comes as EU leaders concluded a summit that, despite lengthy discussions, failed to resolve key issues, highlighting the bloc’s internal divisions (Politico.eu).
UK Climate Policy Reversal
The UK’s Conservative Party, under Kemi Badenoch, has pledged to scrap the country’s landmark Climate Change Act if it returns to power (Politico.eu). This move signals a significant retreat from the UK’s legally binding net-zero emissions targets. The 2008 law was a cornerstone of British climate policy, mandating an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels. The pledge creates a clear policy divide with the opposition and raises questions about the future of green investment and the UK’s international climate leadership.
Stay tuned for the next Gist—your edge in a shifting world.
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